The Ben Ish Chai, in his sefer Od Yosef Chai mentions something we have said in the past: There are three levels of bitachon:
Level One is where a person is relying on Hashem to save him from his problem. He hopes that Hashem will save him, but deep down in his heart, he is really not convinced. It doesn’t hurt, in his mind, to hope for it; and the hope will pick him up out of his despair, but in truth, he is a little shaky. He is concerned about the future.
That is level one: Hoping for the best, and feeling that it could happen, but not feeling convinced of it.
Level Two is not even worrying at all, feeling really convinced that Hashem will pull him out of it. He has no doubt, because Hashem has pulled him out in the past. But he is not comfortable enough to share that with others. He won’t tell somebody, “You know, I’m getting my mortgage money tomorrow. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I know it’s coming.“ He’s not comfortable saying it out loud. That is level two.
Level Three is when the person is so solid in his Bitachon that he is willing to reveal it to other people, because he feels like it happened already. He is not embarrassed to share it. That is the highest level.
The Ben Ish Chai also discusses this in another Sefer, Ben Yehoyada, when he talks about how Hillel would wait until Friday to prepare for Shabbat, not like Shammai who would start from the beginning of the week. Hillel would say, “I am sure Hashem will send me something.” He didn’t hide that. He announced it. This is called
בטחון בדרך פלא
the wondrous level of Bitachon,
which, in his words, is as clear to him as if it happened already. That is the highest level.
So, like everything else in our religion, there are levels. We should be aware that these levels exist, and although maybe we can’t be at the highest level, we can at least strive for the middle level.
There are people that I know that are really convinced that “it’s there already” and in their minds, they are just waiting.
This is actually a pasuk in tehilim ( יח,ד) with Rashi, that says:.
מְ֭הֻלָּל אֶקְרָ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וּמִן־אֹ֝יְבַ֗י אִוָּשֵֽׁעַ
I will praise and call out to Hashem, And from my enemies He will save me.
Rashi says, even before the salvation, I praise G-d.
Why? Because I feel guaranteed that He will save me from my enemies.
The Sefer Yismach Yisrael in Parashat Toledot brings a Midrash Raba that says Yitzhak and Rivkah were both praying for children, opposite each other.
Yitzkah said, “Master of the universe all the children that You are giving to me should be from this righteous woman.”
Rivkah made a similar prayer, “all the children that You will give me in the future should be from this Sadik.”
He makes an interesting diyyuk/inference from this: Why is it that Yitzhak Avinu says it in the present tense “You’re giving me” whereas Rivkah says (in the future tense) “You are going to give me.”
He answers that Yitzhak Avinu was raised in Avraham’s house. He was a ma’amin ben ma’amin- A believer, the son of a believer.
Therefore, he felt like he had it already. That’s why he said in the present form “the sons that you are giving me.” Rivkah, however, was brought up in Lavan’s house, and although she had bitachon, she did not have it on the level that it was already in her hand, and therefore she used the future tense - “the children You will give me in the future.”
These are the levels of bitachon.
We always have to stress, however, what we have said in the past:
There is no right and wrong; there is no machloket/ conflict
Does Bitachon mean I get what I want, or does it mean Hashem will do what’s best for me and I should believe this is what’s best?
The answer is always, (and what the commentaries say), that there is no right and wrong. It all depends on the level that the person is on.
We will conclude with the famous explanation from Rav Chaim of Brisk, which we have said many times:
ואני בחסדך בטחתי
I rely on Your kindness
יגל לבי בישעתך
My heart is glad in Your salvation
Even before it happened.
אשיר לה׳ כי גמל עלי
I will sing a song to Hashem
When He actually gave it to me.
The song only happened after the person actually received and saw the miracle.
Bitachon in a miracle is not enough for a Shira/song.
The song comes when the miracle actually happens.
But in my heart, I can already be glad and happy, even before it happens.
Another pasuk in tehilim says
Rejoice, delight in G-d, and He will give you your hearts desire
The son of the Rav of Brisk, known as the Brisker Rav says that “rejoice in G-d” means that the bitachon should be so strong that you already have the taste of it. Like you can taste a steak before you eat it.
That is how clear you are about whatever is happening.
We can do this as an exercise- imagine the thing that you want or are waiting, for, as if it already happened. Start smiling now. Try to feel like it happened already, even though it didn’t.
That is our beautiful level two of bitachon.
Level three is that you are willing to share that with others, but we aren’t talking about that now.
Have a wonderful day.